Hare introduces bill to get veterans fair mental health evaluations

The government is shirking its duty and responsibility to veterans by misdiagnosing them with personality disorders, ending their service and cutting benefits, U.S. Rep. Phil Hare said Monday.

Karen McDonald

The government is shirking its duty and responsibility to veterans by misdiagnosing them with personality disorders, ending their service and cutting benefits, U.S. Rep. Phil Hare said Monday.

The government has saved an estimated $12.5 billion by denying benefits to veterans, so Hare introduced a bill that would require fair mental health evaluations for returning veterans. If approved, the legislation would place a temporary moratorium on personality disorder discharges until an independent review board determines the diagnoses are legitimate.

"It’s one thing to put people in harm’s way. But when you do, you take care of them when they come home. You take care of them with their education, you take care of them with their health care and you take care of their families, too," Hare said Monday from the American Legion Hall.

Chillicothe resident Donald "Louie" Schmidt has been battling the issue since he was discharged Oct. 31, 2006, after completing two tours in Iraq. He initially was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, but that assessment was changed to a pre-existing personality disorder just weeks before his discharge, said his mother, Patrice Myers.

The Army wanted Schmidt’s $15,000 re-enlistment bonus back plus interest and penalties. They took $4,000 — his last paycheck — to begin the compensation and Hare is working to expedite Schmidt’s repayment.

"Four thousand dollars to Louie is a lot of money and it’s his money. He re-enlisted voluntarily and it never ever ever should have been taken away from him," said Hare, D-Rock Island.

"This is one case and there are several thousand others. To treat service people like this and to come up with this scheme is absolutely to me just mind-boggling."

Estimates show the government has saved roughly $12.5 billion by discharging more than 22,000 veterans from 2001 to 2006 with personality disorders and denying benefits.

"This is not a question of can we afford to do this. We spend $4,000 per second on this war," said Hare, who sits on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Schmidt has said he would have preferred to continue in the Army.

After being denied seven times, he finally is getting disability; his application cited major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia and hearing loss, among a host of physical problems.

The irony of the personality disorder diagnosis is that Schmidt was medically screened four times before he went into the Army. If he had the disorder then, why was he allowed to serve, Hare asked.

Schmidt, 24, said he’s still struggling. "Some days I stay in bed and some days I don’t."

Hare said it’s unlikely the bill, which is currently sitting in the House Armed Services Committee, will be approved this session because it’s almost over. It would be first on the agenda when the House reconvenes in January.

Research shows 25 percent of troops returning from Iraq are psychologically wounded as a result of their combat, many with post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly 20 states have passed laws on veterans’ mental health challenges, many aimed at closing gaps left by the Defense Department or Veterans Administration.

Schmidt said he never would have anticipated this happening to him.

"It’s America. We’re supposed to be the best in the world and we’re not."

Karen McDonald can be reached at (309) 686-3285 or kmcdonald@pjstar.com.